THE council of the Molemole municipality in Limpopo has resolved to fire its former municipal manager, Sudan Lethole, eight months after putting him on suspension

Lethole has been on suspension since June last year on allegations of failing to implement council resolutions.

He was also accused of failing to advise mayor Maite Mohale on the signing of performance agreements for senior managers.

The decision to dismiss Lethole was taken during a special council meeting on Monday night.

A source at the municipality said Lethole was summoned by the ANC provincial headquarters in Polokwane, where he was advised to resign voluntarily in exchange for deployment within one of the provincial departments.

Lethole allegedly refused the offer and in turn demanded a golden handshake - forcing the council to dismiss him.

Two other officials in the municipality are currently on suspension and are alleged to have been close to Lethole.

They were allegedly suspended for leaking confidential information about the municipality.

The case of the two officials was referred to a disciplinary hearing scheduled for later this month.

Two weeks ago an ANC councillor at the municipality, Mathews Manthata, shot and killed his girlfriend Olivia Machaka, who was also employed there.

During Manthata's funeral last week, MEC for local government and housing Soviet Lekganyane allegedly lambasted the political leadership of the municipality and promised that heads would roll if they did not pull up their socks.

Municipal spokesperson Timothy Molopa yesterday confirmed that Lethole had been dismissed.

But he said Lekganyane had only given words of comfort to the bereaved family at the funeral.